tebowing a verb has become an international sensation. people are tebowing in different parts of the world. jeremy affeldt has even gotten into the act. one of the thousands to embrace the phenomenon. >> the giants pitcher jeremy affeldt join me. merry christmas to you. as we begin this conversation,

faith is a very big part of your life. how does it affect you when you're on the field? >> i've had that question a couple times asked of me. my biggest, the only way i can put it, it is my form of worship. for me as a man of faith, i believe that god gave me a talent to exercise on the field. i love singing songs about god, i like sippinging songs to god. i don't have a very good voice at all. i don't have that ability to sing the way some people sing. i think we were all given a talent and the ability to do something really well. for me as a pitcher, this is my platform to worship on. i take the mound and i worship and i give it everything i've got. i go out there and believe that god has given me a talent to succeed. he's given me a talent to execute my pitches. and sometime i do. sometimes i don't. overall, i give it everything i've got.

i don't apologize for it. i put a lot of passion, a lot of zeal, and i think that's honoring to god. i believe that is the way i need to play the game. so when i get done pitching, i feel like i have truly worshipped god. and i go out there and praise him for it. >> other athletes in professional football who know of your faith, how do they treat you? is it different? >> faith is a really touchy subject with athletes. i think there is the common theme, a bible thumper, jesus freak kind of scenario. and there are people that meet me and they don't get that same vibe. for me, i handle my faith in a certain way. i believe st. francis of asisi said, let them see your faith and when needed, use words. and i think for me, that's how i go about my business. i try to encourage guys. i try to love on guys. i try not to -- i am one of those people.

i believe what has hurt people of faith in the game, in general, is the judgmentalism. i think we come across as being holier than thou. i'm the first toll you that i've made tons of mistakes. i am nowhere near perfect. i believe in a god that forgives me and i believe he's done that. >> jeremy, i have less than 60 seconds. as you watch tim tebow who is the most visible of the religious figures going original do you ever look at me and say tim tebow, maybe you are laying it on a little bit heavy. going down to a knee, do you have concerns? >> i don't have concerns about that. like i said, for me, i'm not going to judge either way. i handle my faith how i believe god is asking me to handle my faith. i'm sure he is doing the same thing. i know he does the eye marks and he goes to his knee. i believe he is doing what he feels best to honor his savior.

i'm not going to judge him for it. i hope he doesn't judge on the opposite side of it. for me, i think it is a personal thing. how i worship god in the game and you how he worships god in the game could be the same. it could be different. i think he is the same. i don't think he is harming anybody. i don't think he is condemning anybody by doing what he's doing and that's my only case there. if he ever condemns someone for not doing it the way he does it, i would say he's wrong. but right now, i don't have an issue. >> james affeldt of the san francisco giants. thank you for sharing your insights and your faith. >> thank you. i appreciate it. still to come, christmas hoops at its finest. a pair of contenders going down to the wire.

laces? really? slip-on's the way to go. more people do that, security would be like -- there's no charge for the bag. thanks. i know a quiet little place where we can get some work done. there's a three-prong plug. i have club passes. [ male announcer ] now there's a mileage card that offers special perks on united, like a free checked bag, united club passes, and priority boarding. thanks. ♪ okay. what's your secret? ♪ [ male announcer ] the new united mileageplus explorer card. get it and you're in.

you can put a force field on him and be invisible! [ child 2 ] i call first player. no. i already called it. [ dad ] nobody's playing anything until after we get our homework done. thank you. hello? test drive's not over yet. [ male announcer ] it's practically yours. [ louder ] hello? but we still need your signature. right now during sign then drive, it's never been easier to get the all-new passat, the 2012 motor trend car of the year, for practically just your signature. that's the power of german engineering. visit vwdealer.com. bulls and lakes nba getting going. rose is a high riser.

pulls up one. rose had 22. lakers with five seconds to play. a chance to win. but kobe, denied. bulls come back to win 88-87. our play of the day. next week we go into hyper local nfl playoff mode. full blown 49ers and raiders coverage. the cowboys and giants. that's it for a special edition of bay area news is next. happy holidays, everyone.

another christmas winds down. we'll take you around the globe. an east bay family pays tribute to one of their own who died this week. we'll show you how he delivered the ultimate christmas gift. >> it was hard to sleep. i was terrified that he would get hurt out there. >> missing for week but a blipd dog found its way home with the help of craigslist. the news starts now.

>> how do you spend this christmas day? a lot of us spent the holiday with family. others are far from home. some trying to put smiles on the faces of others. brian moore has the story. >> reporter: in new york people who don't have a lot lined up on christmas day line up for something that would make a big difference. a free coat. >> a little holiday warmth that would go a long way through a tough winter. >> a wonderful thing. a really wonderful thing. >> reporter: in florida, there was another long line. this time volunteers pigging up boxes to drop off to neighbors in need. >> i could be sitting in church but i figure i can do a lot more by going out and helping people less fortunate than i am. >> reporter: many americans spent some of this christmas day in church. from the nation's capital to the war zone in afghanistan. for military men and women shipping out, a little holiday cheer goes a?1> long way.

>> i know no matter where you are, it is always dangerous. >> reporter: president obama called a few fighting men and women to offer his personal thanks. basketball fans got a big gift. the first game of the shortened nba season. most of those occupy wall street protesters seemed to be taking the day off. and after finishing the midnight shift, santa and some of his friends kicked back in cocoa bee beach for a little surf and fun christmas style. brian moore, nbc news, washington. >> thank you. let's bring it back to the bay area. specifyingly the south bay where many families are enjoying their holiday gifts thanks to letter carriers who helped send. they spend the day in the robertsville station on brandon lane. at least one worker delivered santa's presents dressed as st. nick. >> you don't realize that we

deliver on christmas day. on top of that, the surprise of having santa at the door. they rush and get their kids at the door and explain a little about santa delivering presents. >> everyone here is a volunteer. everyone of them. nomandatory whatsoever. >> reporter: we're told the letter carriers delivered every piece of express mail to each home today. you would call this the ultimate christmas gift. the gift of life. an oakland man shot and killed this week giving his organs to people in need of life saving transplants. >> reporter: it is something no family should have to do on christmas. grieve the loss of a loved one. the family of 23-year-old charles butler gathered at praise fellowship bible church in richmond to remember that charles' death is saving others' lives. >> today even though charles is

not with us, he is giving life to somebody this morning. >> reporter: his organs donated to six peel in need of transplants. one antioch man received a liver transplant this morning. >> he blessed them. he blessed them with a wonderful gift on christmas. my brother is a hero. he is. >> reporter: charlie was shot to death in his car near his west oakland home on thursday. a victim to violence that his family says he stayed far away from. >> not all young black men are statistics, meaning that they're not all into drugs or not up to shenanigans and charles is one of them. >> reporter: then he was a long young man known for his infectious smile. he was becoming a longshoreman. his brother presented the

certificate today. even though charles can't live to see his dream come true, his family is comforted that his death will help so many others. >> his spirit will live in these people's bodies. and i just wish them a very merry christmas. nbc bay area news. >> thank you. in san jose, a 1-year-old child suffered minor injuries after his mother reportedly dropped him from a second story wind over. police officers responded to a report of a mother who had locked herself in a room this morning. the officers say she dropped her son out of the window after officers forced their way into the bathroom. the mother jumped out of the window and was arrested. she is under evaluation for a possible psychiatric condition. a merry homecoming that reunited a dog and its owner just in time for christmas. also we review the best video games of the year with a look at 2012. and baby, it's cold outside.

the temperatures, not quite as frigid as it has been. we've got rain in the forecast. we look at christmas in the park. that cold air not keeping people in. tonight they're enjoying that beautiful view. while we still can. your bay area forecast is coming up. [ male announcer ] for andy, tracking his spending with citibank

is as easy as... making breakfast. omelet? sure. scrambled eggs. [ male announcer ] actually, it's easier. citi financial tools. easier banking. standard at citibank. [ beep ] hi. dave here. [ male announcer ] for dave, using citibank's online bill pay is as easy as setting up voicemail. hi, it's dave. [ male announcer ] actually, it's easier. hi, it's dave. i'm out of the office. [ male announcer ] online bill pay. easier banking. standard at citibank.

you may have gotten one in your stocking today or maybe you're wondering what to buy with your gift card. web help you out with what video games are the best to buy. a look ahead to the new year. >> when it come to action that blends the brand of add ad vent you are in the world of movies, the title is made exclusively for the tony playstation 3 have been remarked as some of the best.

heading into the new year, drake's deception stands out as one of the very best with 2011 with the apex of development. nathan drake, a descendant of sir francis drake, journeys around the world for a 16th century artifact. but it goes well beyond a simple quest in one of the best games. it also stands out especially with its usage of the move controller and sharp shooting peripherals. and looking ahead, twisted metal is at the top of the list with the eighth edition in its history but it's very first for the ps 3. dating back to its origins, it is the longest running exclusive franchise. counting the years moving forward is the lego harry potter series now marging years 5-7. meanwhile, movies and games come

together completely on one disk with tech and hybrid. for a 3-1 package which are linked with a full length 3d compatible film. and after a decade of time had passed between the original marvel versus cap con two which came out in february, the wait for another return in this case, as an update took less than a year. and ultimate marvel versus cap con three answers the bell by and bagd a dozen more characters. some with more applicable scores than others. if you skipped out on the highly raid third edition, this ultimate redo brings a little more to the table. for nbc bay area news, i'm lawrence scott. >> let's go from video games to weather. it has been called all day long on this christmas. >> it's pretty cold out there. hard to believe at this time

next week it will be 2012. so this is the last time that we'll be talking about temperatures in the 30s. at least for a little while. i'm going to say below 30s to be safe. temperatures as we head through the next couple nights will start to rebound. very, very comfortably. we've had the low 30s and upper 20s. some clouds are moving in in addition to a little rain. and that will keep your overnight temperatures mild. it won't be quite as warm in the afternoon. for tonight, partly cloudy conditions. not quite as frigid out there. staying nice and mild and the mix of sun and clouds. then the showers arrive mid-week. it doesn't look like the whole bay area will get a lot of action. i think most of it will be north of the golden gate bridge. and we see the area of low pressure. a little trough on the way. it won't bring us much in materials of arraign or change. just clouds that keep the overnight temperatures. more on the mild side. by wednesday that low-pressure

system arrives to our north. that will bring about breezy to windy conditions. we'll divvied the bare area in half. 60s, windy conditions and we'll stay cloudy for the most part from the golden gate bridge to the south bay. maybe aer qua of an inch. we need it. about 40% of normal for this. 46 degrees, not too bad, not too chilly. 36 in gilroy. only the outlying agricultural areas will see the freezing mark or below. as we head into tomorrow night, more mild with more clouds coming in. here's what you can expect tomorrow. really comfortable conditions in most 60s. 60 degrees in san jose. 60 in livermore. and 60 in san francisco. we take you into 2012 on your seven-day outlook. we'll ring in the new year with pretty comfortable conditions. 60 degrees saturday. and sunday, 58 degrees. a little rain on the way. the other good component of those rain showers in the bay area, they clean out the air. we'll have better air quality as

we head into the mid section. kind of hazy out there. back to you. >> thank you. still to come on nbc bay area news, a blind dog who was lost for a week finds his way home for christmas. [ female announcer ] at the jcpenney...

...after christmas sale, unwrap the biggest savings this monday. shop from 6am to 1pm and save big with doorbusters like... ...9.99 sweaters for her. 70% off sleepwear for him. just 3.99 for bath towels. and buy two bras and get two free. plus with jcpcash... ...get $10 off when you spend just 25. storewide. no exclusions. unlike other stores, we don't make you come back to save! go to jcp.com to see everything on sale. we make style affordable. you make it yours. jcpenney.

a blind dog reunited with its owner after missing for nearly a month. nbc's owner paid a visit and tells us how the reunion happened. >> she is my christmas miracle. >> this is stevie, also referred to as stevie the wonder dog. >> because he is blind like the singer stevie wonder. >> though stevie can't see, he is home for christmas. >> he has a santa claus hat. >> and his own personal stocking. but the past few week for stevie and his owner belinda hadn't been so merry.

>> it was hard to sleep. i was terrified that he would get hurt out there. >> stevie went missing after she said her landlord went to fix something in her home in late november and stevie accidentally got out. >> we looked for him. we hunted the whole nine acres. >> stevie had his collar but there was an outdated cell phone number on it. weeks. still no sign of stevie. the family even put up a lost dog ad on craze list. a high school teacher saw his picture. >> she felt that he was owned by somebody. he was too happy. and she asked acs to put us, it's called save a life hold on him. >> the teacher found the craigslist ad about the missing dog and the rest was history. gutierrez picked him up several days ago. >> i saw him. i got on the floor.

he was kissing me through the fence. >> stevie is back to himself. still as lovable as ever. enjoying every bit of the attention. >> i know that he will never be able to see but hopefully he can see the world through my eyes. >> stevie by the way is about a year old. he was born blind. he got several treats for christmas including his favorites, carrots. the christmas spirit also alive on the streets of san francisco. police officers and firefighters giving close to 10,000 toys to needy children in the city. here's hoyt looked in san francisco at lefty o'douls restaurant. the volunteers rt at aing today at 4:30 this morning. they will continue working until past midnight tonight. they say all their hard work is worth it when they see happy faces this christmas. organizers say donations exceeded last year's numbers, adding up to more than 10,000 toys. they went out for some 2,000 school age children who are homeless.

>> it's great to cover good stories like that. >> thank you for joining us. thanks for watching this special edition of nbc bay area news. we'll be back here at 11:00. [ female announcer ] at the jcpenney... ...after christmas sale, unwrap the biggest savings this monday. shop from 6am to 1pm and save big with doorbusters like... ...9.99 sweaters for her. 70% off sleepwear for him. just 3.99 for bath towels. and buy two bras and get two free.

plus with jcpcash... ...get $10 off when you spend just 25. storewide. no exclusions. unlike other stores, we don't make you come back to save! go to jcp.com to see everything on sale. we make style affordable. you make it yours. jcpenney.